Fight fire with fire?

com · Aug 22, 2003

I was just thinking...

Antivirus software, spam filters, etc. All of these need to be installed, configured, updated, etc... Why not go a different way? Create and spread virus-killing worms. A virus which is a virus killer, much like the Terminator sent to prevent other Terminators from destroying the human race (first thing that came to mind, now that Arnold's face is all over the papers).

Here is why i think this is a good idea:

The viri killing viri will spread without any involvement from computer users, requiring no updates, patches, etc.

The harmless viri writers that up 'till now were concentrating on showcasing their capabilities and writing zero to low damage viri 'just for fun' will have a different task - to go after other viri writers aimed at causing massive damage. This should spark a nice viri war and take a good % of viri writers off the task of spreading damaging viri.

Allow viri killer programmers to purchase digital certificates which would identify the viri killing code, tag it to its writer, etc.

What are your thiughts on this?

Bob · Aug 22, 2003

This was discussed in the news after (I think) the Melissa worm.

The problem with this idea is that how do you know the differnece between a "good" and "bad" virus. No doubt you will have bad vidi masquerading as a "good" virus.

The whole notion is a Virus / Worm is bad. A virus is simply defined as a "Self-replacating program". Even if there are "good" viri, I would not want an unauthorized program on my computer.

Just my HO.

-Bob

com · Aug 22, 2003

Define "unauthorized program". As a program developer, i can tell you that you have no idea what we put in the software. Just because the product comes from a name you see on TV does not mean that by installing it you are not placing your system in danger. As for bad posing for good, i understand what you are saying and i do not think that good viri need to be treated any different from bad viri. I think that whatever is going on will continue, but you will simply see a lesser effect of the bad viri due to good viri fighting unnoticed. A good viri will simply clean your mashine, pass itself on to another and kill itself on yours.

Nexus · Aug 22, 2003

A good virus is a DEAD virus. An active virus is a BAD virus.

Though some people appreciated the "friendly" virus that came through, it still caused unreasonable amounts of network traffic, as an unauthorized program made its way through networks and tried to affect different computers it shouldn't have been. Any escalation of "war" between good and bad virus writers would certainly cause more casualties than ever before.

In fact, the biggest casualty of all might be the broken backbone of the Internet itself.

~ Nexus